House Warming - Christening the Stove

I have to record the first time supper was cooked in our new flat.

We had forgotten all our meat and pizza bases at Nischy's place and the only thing left in the fridge was a few chappatis. There was some frozen veggies in the freezer but Pramod didnt want to use it, so I said that I would make some tomato curry, following the recipe from Mrs K A Mathew's cook book. Needless to say, it was a disaster.

As I stood by the stove looking down at the tomatoes simmering in a pool of oil and cinnamon soup, the smell of burning chillies and cinnamon filling my nostrils, I realized that my incompetence would lead us to have a meal of chappati and stinging tomato curry.

I told Pramod what was happenning to the curry and he stepped up to the rescue with a finesse that astounded me. He quickly chopped up large chunks of tomatoes and onions, added frozen veggies from the freezer, coconut and spices. But its the way he added those spices that blew me away...

Slightly bent over the pan, salt shaker in one hand, other hand behind his back, carefully but efficiently layering the salt from one side of the pan to the other... same thing with the tumeric powder and coconut...

I want to hereby designate Pramod as home cook but I know he will kick my ass if I had to tell him that to his face